Electric light fixture



July 26, 1938. H. J. cooK ET AL 5 i 2,125,055

ELECTRIC LIGHT :FIXTURE Filed May 25, 1955 gli,

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- INVENToRs H arman J. Coah BY George Ef'tzgerald AORNEY Patented July 26, 1938 ELECTRIC' FIXTURE Harmon J. Cook,. Torrington, andY lGeorge E. Fitzgerald, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to The Connecticut Electric Manufacturing Co., Bantam, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 5&3, 1935, Serial No. 22,994

9 Claims.

This invention relates to yelectric light fixtures, and more particularly to` aswitch socket provided with a pair of side taps-andhaving insulating guide blocks heldin place by the` casing 5 thereof for directing thel prongs ofl outlet plugs into engagement with saidy taps.

One object of this invention is to provide a socket of the above nature in which the insulating guide blocksY are held detachably inVV position 10 b y the outer shell casing, and are not connected to the interior switch and Contact carrying body in anyl way.

, A further object isto provide a double tap'pull chain socket of the above nature which is approximately the same size as the standard pull chain-sockets, so that it may be readily substituted therefor whenever desired.

A vstillffurther object is to provide a side tap socketfof th'e abovenature in which the interior body'is removable-,from the casing'without disturbing the side insulating guide blocks.

A further object is to provide a double-tap socketof the above nature inwhich the'tap contactsv are double ended and pass transversely through the Vinterior insulating body in alinement with side slots provided in the insulating guide blocks of the casing.

A further object is to provide aV double-tap out-letv socket which will be simple in construction; 'easy to assemble, inexpensive to manufacture, compact, and'very durable in use.

Withthese andother objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompany-ing drawing onei form in Which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the mproved-pull chain socket to which a pair of side outlet.' taps have been applied.

40 Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 2--2v of Fig. l, looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 31 is aside elevation of the interior body as it appears-When removed from the casing.

Fig; 4 is a side elevation ofl the same, similar tol Fig. 3, but taken from the opposite side thereof. v

Fig; 5 is .atransverse sectional view of the electricsocket, taken along the line 5-5 of` Fig. 2,

looking downwardly.

Fig. 6. is al front perspective viewoi'. one of the insulatingguide blocks.

Eig.'7 isa rear perspective View of thev same.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View of the electric circuit.

(Cl. 173-336)v .Referring now to the drawing in which like reference4` numerals denote corresponding parts throughout` the `several views, the numeral- I-I) indicates an outside'shell or casing, preferably of metal, to'which a-top cap II, also preferably of 5 metal, may be attached by snapping thereupon in the usual well-known manner. The apex of the cap i-fIl is provided with a tappedlbushing I2 by means of which anelectric iixture may be attached to arthreadedconduit pipe I3 for hous- 10 ingl a two-wire conductor cord, not shown'.

The bottom of the shell IIl-is provided with the usual shacle-holder-engaging` threaded section Id, and the intermediate section ofy saidshellihas apair of opposed side-openingsv I5 eachlhaving a 1'5 curved top portion and a rectangular base for detachablyY receiving a pairof insulating guide blocks Iii and Il, which fit into the openings I5 and are retained within the shell by the anges 23@ and 2i thereof-v. The blocks I6'- and Il.' are 20 each provided with a pair of parallelnarrow rectangular passages I8` and E19 `depressed inwardly from` the outer fact of saidiblocks-and' connected therewith by OrnamentaLcounterSunk faces 2'0 and 2l which assist inl guiding the; prongsl of? a 25 plug (not shown)` into saidslots` I8:and.` I9'.-

In orderv to retain theblocks IGI and4 lfl inlthe shell IILwithout-any connection with the'iinterior body or mechanism, said blocksirare each( provided with rearwar-dly. extending side Wings122 30 having lateral flanges 23 at their.v extremities which are adapted.y to.i engage the: inside of' the casing I0 beyond thef side edges ofy the openings The upper. convex sections of theA guide blocks 35 I6 and Isl. are providedV withupstanding. flanges 24, Which-.engage behind` the shellv andcooperate with. the flanges 23l to holdy said blocksf/int-the shell;V The blocks: Iii. and. IJ are eachprovided on their interior lower edges withi small angular 21'() recesses `2 5 for engagingLwith. curved lugs" 26: extending inwardly-from the shellat the lower edge ci the openings i5 thereof.

The casing. Iil is provided with the 'usual insulating' sleeve 2.`I= andthe cap I flv has an insulat- 4'5 ing insert 282 tol electrically andY mechanically shield the interior parts from. themetal of the shell I IJ and cap I I respectively. v

The interior body of the device is generally indicated by the numeral 29' and` comp-rises a 50 pair of split sections 30-and 3If, preferably made of porcelain or other molded insulating material. The split sections 30 and 3l are so congurate'd asto accommodate the necessary electric contacts and connecting elements as clearly 55 illustrated in the drawing, The two split sections 30 and 3l of the interior body are adapted to be held together by a single bolt 32 and associated nut 33.1ocated in the upper right-hand corner of the body, as Vviewed in Fig. 3.

A threaded socket shell contact 34 is attached to the lower end of the insulating body 30, 3l, as by a pair of bolts 35 and 38, the bolt 35 being shorter than the bolt 35 and provided with a nut 3l, which is seated in a cross-shaped socket 38, the cross section of said socket being adapted to prevent the nut 3'1 from turning.

The longer screw 36 is received in a vertical slot 39 provided in the opposite side split sec- Y tion 3l, and threadedly engages an inturned tapped end at the lower end of an angular terminal conductor strip 4l. The upper end of the strip 4| is provided with a binding screw 42 to which one of the insulated wires 43 of the two-wire conductor cord may be attached -as shown.

The bases oi the split sections 35, 3l 'are jointly formed with the usual depending projection dfi adapted to fit within a locating aperture provided in the upper end base of the socket shell contact 3d. A resilient convex center contact 45 is positioned adjacent the projection i4 and has a reduced connector strip 45a extending upwardly through a narrow slot 46 formed by opposed grooves on the adjacent faces of the split sections 38, 3l. The upper end of said strip terminates in an interior chamber 4'@ where it is electrically connected with a socket switch mechanismv 43 located in said chamber 4l. The switch mechanism 48 is preferably of the conventional oscillating disc advancing ratchet type and is mounted upon a rod i9 transversely mounted in the split sections 35 and 3l. A pull chain is connected to a hook 55a on a spring actuated insulating toothed disc 56h, the teeth o which are adapted to engage in succession the teeth of an advancing ratchet 5|.

In order to connect the switch mechanism 48 to the electric circuit, the other conductor 52 leads to an angular strip 53 located outside the split section 3,and is held securely thereto and also connected to the switch mechanism 48 by means of a tubular eyelet 54. The upper offset end of the strip 53 is provided with a binding screw 55 to which the conductor wire 52 may be connected.

The lower end of the angular strip 53 is connected with a double ended voutlet tap contact 56 transversely located in a horizontal socket 57 positioned in alinement with one set of the openings I8 and I9 of the guide blocks l5 and II and passing entirely through the split plug sections 3G, 3l. The opposite ends of the doubleended contact 56 are provided with inturned resilient tongues 58 and 59 by means of which an electrical contact is made with the prongs of any conventional pushplug, not shown.

The other double end tap contact till is arranged in a similar manner within a transverse horizontal socket 51a and is connected to? the electric circuit by means of a short auxiliary conductor strip 3l passing upwardly through a side slot 62 formed on the outside "of the plug section 3|, and is electrically connected with the inturned end 45 of the vertical conductor strip 4l leading to the body part 42.

Operation To connect the xture to the electric supply circuit it will only be necessary to remove the cap ll from the shell l0, in the usual manner. The interior body 25 may then be pulled out without interfering with the guide blocks i3 and I1. The conductor wires 43 and 52 may then be connected to the binding-screws 42 and 55. The body 29 may then be reinserted into the casing shell I0 and the cap ll snapped back into position.

, It will be understood that the guide blocks i6 and Il will be assembled inthe apertures l5 from the interior of the casing i5 before the body 29 has been inserted. The recesses 25 will first be tted over` the lugs 25, after which the upper ends of the guide blocks i@ and I' will be forced outwardly into the curved upper sections of the apertures l5.

It is to be noted from the above construction that the double-end tap contacts 53 and G will be constantly energized whether the switch mechanism 48 is in open or closed position, so that one or more double-prong plugs may be inserted into the side taps and will draw current therefrom irrespective of whether the socket Having thus fully described the invention,

what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

l. In an electric xture, a casing, a removable interior insulating body located in said casing, said body having a side outlet tap, said casing having a side aperture in alinement With said tap, an insulating guide block having a portion fitting in and projecting out through said aperture and having laterally extending means inside said casing to retain said block in said casing, said body being unconnected with and freely removable from said casing without disturbing said block. v

2. In an electric fixture, a easing, a removable interior insulating body located in said casing, said body having a double-contact side outlet tap, said casing having a side aperture in alinement with said tap, an insulating hanged guide block projecting out through said` aperture and held in place in said casing, said body being removable from said casing without disturbing said block, said block having a pair of slots for guid ing the prongs of a double prong plug into engagement with the contacts of said tap, the flanges on said guide block serving to hold said slots in alinement with said tap and preventing said block from falling out through said aperture.

3. In a lamp socket, an interior insulating body, a pair of conductors in said body having a connection to a source of current, an end socket for an electrical device, a side outlet tap having a pair of contacts connected with said conductors, a casing freely slidable upon and unconnected with said body and having a side aperture in alinement with said tap, and an insulating guide block projecting into said aperture adapted to receive the prongs of a double prong-plug and guide them into engagement with the contacts of said side outlet tap, said block having an interior ange to hold it within said casing.

4. In an electrical fixture, a casing, an interior body member of insulating material having a side outlet tap, said casing having a side aperture in alinement with said side outlet tap and an insulating guide block detachably fitted into said aperture, said block having interior flanges to prevent it from being forced outwardly through said aperture when the body member is in position within said casing, said body member being removable longitudinally from said casing without disturbing said block.

5. In an electrical fixture, a casing, an interior body member of insulating material having a side outlet tap, said casing having a side aperture in alinement with said tap, an anchor :[ulcruin lug integral with said casing extending inwardly from the edge of the lower part of said aperture, and an insulating guide block unconnected with said casing tted into said aperture and having a recess embracing said lug to hold said block in alinement with said tap, said body member being freely removable from said casing without disturbing said block.

6. In an electric fixture, a casing, an insulating body slidably fitting the interior of said casing, a socket mounted on one end of said body, said body having a pair of side current taps, a pair of conductor straps connecting the terminals of said socket and side taps in parallel, a pair of doubleended tap outlet contacts connected to said straps, and a pair of insulating guide blocks eX- tending outwardly through said casing and serving to direct the prongs of a pair of push-plugs into engagement with the contacts of said side current taps, said body being removable from said casing without disturbing said blocks.

7. In an electric fixture, a casing having a pair of side apertures, an insulating body slidably iitted into the interior of said casing and having a pair of transverseslots extending therethrough, a pair of double-ended contacts located in said slots, means to connect said contacts with the two terminals ci a source of current, and a pair of insulating guide blocks extending outwardly through and 'carried by said casing to direct the prongs of a pair of electric push-plugs into engagement with said double-ended contacts, said body being removable from said casing without disturbing said blocks.

8, In an electric xture, a casing having a pair of side apertures, an insulating body slidably fitted into the interior of said casing and unconnected therewith, a switch-controlled lamp socket mounted on one end of said body, said body having a pair of transverse slots extending therethrough, a pair of plug tap contacts located in said slots, and means to connect the terminals of said lamp socket and said tap contacts in parallel whereby a double prong plug may draw current from said tap contacts, a plug prong guide block in each side aperture of said casing, said body and tap contacts being unconnected with and freely removable from said casing without interfering with either of the plug prong blocks by a longitudinal sliding movement.

9. In an electrical iixture, a cylindrical casing having a side aperture, an insulating block having slots therethrough disposed in said aperture and having a flanged portion within said casing underlying the edges of the aperture therein, and an insulating body carrying contacts and being freely slidable longitudinally into said casing to a position between said block and the opposite side of, said casing to align the contacts with the slots in said block, said body being unconnected with said casing.

HARMON J. COOK. GEO. E. FITZGERALD, 

